What Would David Do?
by Tandy
Summary: Spoilers for 3x17. Hook ponders about the curse and what to do about it.


Warning: Unbetad, read at your own risk.

Being a villain was easy. There really wasn't much to it. Be selfish, don't let anyone stand in your way, take what you want. Being good was infinitely harder. There was so many choices, so many ways to err, to do the wrong thing, and the potential for collateral damage crippling.

Hook wasn't a pirate nor was he a hero.

At this point he was jus lost. Hook wanted to do the right thing, but knowing what the right thing was and wanting to do it were two very different things. He was paralyzed by fear, of what the Witch would do to Emma's family or what he would have to do to her to prevent it. He would never forgive himself if his actions harmed the lad, and yet he couldn't take away her power. He would not leave her powerless against the witch.

So, lost, alone, and angry about just what constituted doing the right thing in his particular situation, he decided to consult with an authority in the matter. David. The man would know what to do. The bloody prince had managed to extract himself and his family, sometimes by the skin of their teeth, out of various situations. After all, the man should be rightly dead, considering the quantity of villains that had been after them. Even more so, he had done it without tarnishing his lilywhite principles.

"What's this about? Emma tells me you've been acting strange."

They were at the rabbit hole, Hook already on his third beer. He swallowed hard, the whole situation humbling and embarrassing. He would have to tell David everything, from Ariel to the witch. The prince was likely to leave him before he even finished. Still, he took a deep breath, looked at his mug, as he told the father of the woman he loves how he had chosen his ship over a man's life, how he had pretended he had never heard of prince Eric, and finally about being tricked and cursed by the Witch.

"You have to tell Emma." Hook looked up sharply into David's understanding eyes. "She has to know."

"I can't risk it. I can't risk her losing her boy, her parents." Hook took another drink of his beer. "I won't leave her powerless either. I was thinking I could leave, put myself out of the equation. I will not be a pawn in the witch's game."

David gently took the beer bottle away from his grasp. "You have to tell her. Together, and I mean all of us, we'll find a way. If I've learned one thing from our trials, it's that you don't lie to the woman you love, Hook. Don't do it. Don't make choices for her."

His chest felt constricted, at the choice he would have to make, and at the easy acceptance he was receiving from David. He had expected recriminations and disappointment. Yet there he was, quietly empathetic, doling out advice as if they were best mates.

"The worst thing you can do is leave her. She trusts you with what's most valuable to her; Henry. That's huge. She will never forgive you if you leave."

"I know it." He rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"We, Snow and I, we trust you too." David reached over to squeeze his shoulder in support.

At that, a large knot formed on his throat. Bloody fucking Charmings. "I'm scared," he confessed. More scared that he had ever been. He couldn't keep this to himself, couldn't handle it alone. It was too much.

"You have to tell her."

* * *

The impromptu meeting took place in the hallway outside her room at Granny's while Henry still slept inside. The late night call from her father didn't faze her, accustomed to having her life being in constant upheaval. Plus, having everyone gathered around her, Regina, Mary Margarat, David and Hook was reassuring. What did sent her heart clutching in worry was the expression on Hook's face.

He was leaning against the wall, feigning nonchalance, but by now Emma knew him too well to fall for it. There was something wrong. There had been something wrong since the previous night.

"Why don't you do the honors, Dave?" Hook said to her dad, but his eyes bore into Emma's.

David sighed but stepped up. He repeated what Hook had told him about his quest with Ariel, about the witches curse. Hook kept his gaze steady, letting her be witness to his shame, his regret and his love. Emma listened to her father's voice, vacillating from disappointment to complete relief at learning that Hook hadn't been harmed during his confrontation with the witch.

"I have to leave. It's the best possible solution."

"No." The word thundered out of her. Nothing mattered, not his past, not hers. In this moment all she wanted was to have him with her, making Henry laugh, making her roll her eyes with his innuendos. She couldn't imagine her life without him anymore.

"Lass, there's no other way." He was hurting. She wanted to soothe that hurt away, wanted to wipe the despair from his eyes. As someone that kept her feeling close to her heart, she didn't know how he could showcase so much of him for everyone to see.

"We'll figure something out," she said, trying to smile. Then her insecurities reared their ugly heads. "Unless you want to leave." She stepped back, realizing that she had gone to him instinctively.

Hook took a step closer, closing the gap she had created. "If you would allow it I'd never leave your side."

Emma heard Regina making a rude comment but ignored it. Another step closer to him. "Then don't."

"Swan, I'm placing everyone in danger-"

She positioned her hand softly on his lips, cutting off his speech. His eyes widened in surprise. God, but he was pretty to look at. Emma leaned forward, closing her eyes, as she kissed him through her hand. He closed his eyes as well, placing his hand on her hip to make take another step toward him to fuse their bodies together.

"We'll figure it out," she said again. "Together."

He nodded, his eyes heavy lidded and filled to the brim with love, his mouth still covered with her hand.

Someone cleared their throat politely, prompting Emma to release him slowly. His lips tingled, and his heart was close to bursting. The kiss they had shared in Neverland had been heated and full of passion but devoid of anything deeper. This kiss, though chase, was full of promise.

"We will," Mary Margaret repeated, filled with optimism. David smiled encouragingly next to her as Regina rolled her eyes and grumbled about doing research.

Hook reached for Emma's hand, comforted by the way she twined her fingers with his, charmed by the way her cheeks pinked. Maybe the Charmings were right, maybe there was always hope. He turned to David, thanking him with a smile and a cock of his head.

"_I told you so_," the prince mouthed in mock reprimand.

* * *

Thanks for reading. Please review!


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